Folding chair



J. P. MEE-HAN 2.493.682

FOLDING CHAIR l 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 R. N mw WE N E I M D.. N M. JW

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ATTORNEYS Jan. 3, 1950 Filed June 27, 1946 Jan. 3, 1950 J, P, MEEHAN2,493,682

FOLDING CHAIR Filed June 27, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. JOHN PMEEHAN BY M77] ATTORNEYS Patented `an. 3, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENToFF-ICE FOLDING CHAIR John P. Meehan, San Gabriel, Calif. ApplicationJune 27, 1946, seriai'Nq. 679,707

2 Claims.

My present invention relates to folding chair construction, having moreparticularly to do with folding chairs made of metal and having seatsand back rests made of fabric or other exible material.

In conventional folding chair construction, the cross members whichprovide the seat support and bracing for the legs are usually pivoted attheir bottom ends to the legs or posts and have a projection at theirtop ends which slidably fit in longitudinal slots provided in the posts,so that as the seat-supporting frame is folded, the projections slidealong the slots. This construction, however, has several disadvantageswhich those working in this art have long sought to overcome. One ofthose objections is that in order to provide for suliciently long slotsfor the projections it is necessary to make the posts so high inrelation to the width of the seat that the arm rests carried by the topends of the posts are positioned too high for comfort, or else it isnecessary to make the seat too narrow for comfort. Another seriousobjection to such construction is that the weight of an occupant of theseat tends to swing the side arm members in such manner as to placeundue tension on the fabric seat, which soon results in tearing of thefabric. Another objection is that the slots and projections frequentlybecome corroded, which interferes with free sliding movement of theprojections along the slots and renders folding and unfolding diflicult.A still further objection is that chairs so constructed lack sufficientstrength and durability for long life and are incapable of supportingabnormally heavy weight.

It is an object of my invention to overcome those disadvantages and toprovide a folding chair in which there is no necessary relationshipbetween the heights of the posts and the width of the seat.

Another object of my invention is to provide a folding chair in whichthe Weight of the occupant is transferred from the seat frame to theposts by means of novel abutment members pivotally connected at theirrespective ends to the seat frame and to the posts.

Another feature of my invention is the provision of a folding chair inwhich the weight of an occupant on the fabric seat does not place theseat in such tension as to result in tearing. i

Another object is to provide a folding chair which is economical ofmanufacture, which does not require slots and projections to catch theclothes of the user and which is extremely durable and practicable.

My invention possesses still further features of novelty which willbecome apparent from the following description of a presently preferredembodiment thereof, for which purpose I shall refer to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of a chair constructed in accordance with myinvention, the chair being in open position ready for occupancy;

Fig. 2 is a perspective like Fig. 1 but showing the chair in foldedposition;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section illustrating the attachment of the fabricseat to the seat-supporting frame.

It will be understood, of course, that within the broader scope ofthe-invention as defined by the claims, it is contemplated that variousmodi' cations may be made in the structural details particularlyillustrated in the drawings.

Referring now'to vthe drawings, the numerals 5 and 6 denote a pair ofspaced parallel U-shaped frame members providing upright posts 5a, 5band 6a, 6b as well as arm rest supports 5c, 6c. An arm rest plate 'l isxed, as by welding, to each arm rest'support. Preferably, the framemembers 5 and 6 are made of metal tubing or bar stock and each post hasfitted over its bottom end a cup-shaped floor-engaging member 9, whichmay be made of rubber or metal.

Secured, as by welding, to each of the back posts 5b, 6b there is a backrest supporting upright I0 presenting an enlarged top end Il. A fabricback rest strip I2 has looped ends I2a which slidably fit over the backrest supporting uprights.

For supporting the fabric seat l5. I provide a pair of U-shaped metalframes l1, I8 presenting respectively side arms l la, |8a and a crossarm I lb, |817 interconnecting the side arms. These frames are arrangeddiagonally crosswise into an X shape as shown and the pairs of arms lla,|8a and Ilb, I8b are pivotally connected together intermediate theirends by pivot pins I9 and 20.

The bottom ends of the arms lla, I8a and llb, |811 are pivotallysupported from the posts by being rotatably mounted on cross rods 25whose ends extend into holes provided in the posts. Thus theseat-supporting frames may be relatively swung about their pivotsbetween the positions of Figs. 1 and 2.

To support the seat-supporting frames when the weight of an occupant ofthe seat is imposed thereon, I provide for each of the side arms Ila,|8a and Ilb, lb an abutment member 30, there being four of such members.One end of each of the abutment members 30 is pivotally secured to apost by a pivot pin 32 and the other end of each of said members ispivotally connected to one of the side frame elements, against the innersurface thereof, by means of a pivot pin 33. Intermediate its ends, eachof the members 30 is provided with a substantially right angled bend 35which bend provides an abutment shoulder against which 'one of the sidearms 'engages when the chairis in fuliy opened position ready to receivean occupant (Fig. 1), which transfers the pressure exerted on the seatframe to the post moves the parts from the position of Fig. ,-1 to theposition of Fig. 2, in which latter folded position it Will be notedthat the arms Hb, |811 of the seatsupporting Aframe extend above the armrests, so that there does not have to be any definite relationshipbetween t-h'e height of the post and the width offthe seat.l Y,

As best shown in Fig. 4, the fabric vseat `Iii is secured to the crossarms Hb, Ib in the following manner. V The free ends 15a of the fabricseat are clamped against -the respective arms l'lb, |812` by means ofthe respective plates 31, each of which is secured lto its carried armby screws 38, and then the fabric is folded over the top surfaces of theplates as shown.

I claim: v

'1. In a folding chair, two inverted lil-shaped side frames, a sea-tframecomposed of Uj-shaped members Vdisposed crosswisue of each otherbetween the side frames and -piVotally connected together intermediatetheir ends for relative swinging movement, one of said members havingits -free ends pivotally secured to the respective sides of one of theside frames adjacent their bottom ends and the other of said membershaving its free ends p-ivotallfy secured to the respective `sides, ofthe other side frame, a exible seat secured at its respective ends onthe top portions.

of'said members, and auxiliary bracing means for each of said memberscomprising a link pivotally secured at one end to a side of said memberand pivotally secured at its other end to a side of the contiguous sideframe, each of said links having intermediate its ends an abutmentportion disposed in the plane of movement of the side of the U-shapedmember to which it is pivotally secured whereby to arrest movement ofsaid member.

V2-. Infa fo1dingehair,'two inverted Uf-shaped side frames, a seat framecomposed of U'shaped members disposed crosswise of each other betweenthe side frames and pivotally connected together intermediate their endsfor relative vswinging movement, one of said members having its freeends pivotally secured to the respective sides of one of the side framesadjacent their bottom ends and the other of said members having its freeends pivotally secured to the respec- ,I

tive sides of the other side frame, a flexible seat secured at itsrespective ends on the top portions of said members, and auxiliarybracing means for each of said members comprising a link pivotallysecured at one end to a side of said member and pivotally secured `atits other end to a side of the contiguous side frame, each of said linksVbeing V-shaped in longitudinal section and having at its apex a 'rightangle bend providing an abutment inthe plane of movement o' the side ofthe U-shaped member t'o which it is pivotally secured. Y U

JOHN?. MEEHAN.

REFERENCES n CITED The following references are of record in Vthe le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS France T-e v Mar. 26, 1935

